Maintaining network address translations
First Claim
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1. A device comprising:
- a communication interface configured to communicate data-carrying User Datagram Protocol (UDP) datagrams with another device, wherein the communication involves at least one network address translation by at least one intermediate network address translator (NAT) arranged to maintain a mapping for the network address translation, wherein the at least one intermediate NAT is configured to reverse the mapping for reply UDP datagrams, and comprises a timer that times out the mapping after a period has passed without the at least one intermediate NAT performing a network address translation for the communication, anda controller configured to force the at least one intermediate NAT to maintain the mapping for an additional period by causing sending keepalive UDP datagrams from the device to the another device through the at least one intermediate NAT frequently enough to prevent the timer from timing out the mapping for the network address translation when no data-carrying UDP datagrams are communicated between the device and the another device.
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Abstract
This invention provides a method, apparatus, and computer-readable media for providing a configuration that sets up and maintains communication connections through the use of network address translation (NAT). The configuration includes communicating, by a device, packets from and/or to another device, in which the communication involves a network address translation, and maintaining the network address translation by transmitting, by the device, packets using the network address translation frequently enough to prevent any intermediate device from deleting a mapping for the network address translation from a cache of the intermediate device.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A device comprising:
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a communication interface configured to communicate data-carrying User Datagram Protocol (UDP) datagrams with another device, wherein the communication involves at least one network address translation by at least one intermediate network address translator (NAT) arranged to maintain a mapping for the network address translation, wherein the at least one intermediate NAT is configured to reverse the mapping for reply UDP datagrams, and comprises a timer that times out the mapping after a period has passed without the at least one intermediate NAT performing a network address translation for the communication, and a controller configured to force the at least one intermediate NAT to maintain the mapping for an additional period by causing sending keepalive UDP datagrams from the device to the another device through the at least one intermediate NAT frequently enough to prevent the timer from timing out the mapping for the network address translation when no data-carrying UDP datagrams are communicated between the device and the another device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for a communication device, comprising:
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communicating data-carrying User Datagram Protocol (UDP) datagrams with another device, wherein the communication involves at least one network address translation by at least one intermediate network address translator (NAT) configured to maintain a mapping for the network address translation for reply UDP datagrams, the intermediate NAT having a timer that times out the mapping after a period has passed without the at least one intermediate NAT performing a network address translation using the mapping for the communication; receiving reply datagrams from the another device, the reply datagrams having a reverse-mapped address; and forcing the at least one intermediate NAT to maintain the mapping for an additional period by sending keepalive UDP datagrams from the communication device to the another device through the at least one intermediate NAT frequently enough to prevent the timer from timing out the mapping for the network address translation when no data-carrying UDP datagrams are communicated between the communication device and the another device. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A non-transitory computer readable media comprising program code for causing an apparatus comprising a processor to perform instructions for:
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communication of data-carrying User Datagram Protocol (UDP) datagrams between a device and another device, wherein the communication involves at least one network address translation by at least one intermediate network address translator (NAT) configured to maintain a mapping for the network address translation so that the at least one intermediate NAT can reverse the mapping for reply UDP datagrams, wherein the NAT comprises a timer that times out the mapping after a period has passed without the at least one intermediate NAT performing a network address translation for the communication; receiving reply datagrams from the another device, the reply datagrams having a reverse-mapped address; and forcing the at least one intermediate NAT to maintain the mapping for an additional period by sending keepalive UDP datagrams from the device to the another device through the at least one NAT frequently enough to prevent the timer from timing out the mapping for the at least one network address translation when no data-carrying UDP datagrams are communicated between the device and the another device.
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Specification